Birding Without a Camera - 02 May 2026

My name is Jerry and I'm a recovering photographer. Today I went birding for the first time in over 20 years without a camera. And, it frightened me.

I got permission to purchase a new camera last week, so Thursday evening I ordered a new Sony Alpha a1 II camera from B&H Photo. For $20 I could get it Friday after 5 pm. Sure enough, Friday morning showed the camera in Romulus at the FedEx Center but with no information regarding that it was out for delivery. As (my) luck would have it, we went to lunch only to get a message that FedEx tried to deliver the camera at noon, but without a signature it would have to be re-delivered, ON MONDAY! Talk about waiting for Santa only to find out that he came but I was not home. I was sad.

This morning, under clear skies and a chilly 42ºF I decided to drive to Pt. Mouillee and bird Roberts Road. I had given my Sony a1 to Robin yesterday and did not want to have to re-set it up for birding so I made the decision to bird with just binoculars. I survived.

A drive down Haggerman Road and the Antenna Farm produced only a singing Eastern Meadowlark so there were no photo opportunities. So far so good.

Antenna Farm, Monroe, Michigan, US
May 3, 2026 8:01 AM - 8:06 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.852 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, 44F
5 species

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  1
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  18
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S331665958

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)

I then drove down Rheaume Road by the landfill and Rockwood Quarry and stopped to bin five Northern Rough-winged Swallows that were sitting atop the wire fence under beautiful morning sunlight. Wish I had a camera...

But, I was ok. I continued by the quarry and watched several Bald Eagles soaring over the pit, and would later see a pair of Red-tailed Hawks joining them, but was content watching them from a distance too far to photograph.

Parking along Roberts Road I walked the north end to the fenceline next to the landfill entrance and heard many Northern Yellow Warblers, Gray Catbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Warbling Vireo, and Red-winged Blackbirds. A short walk through the open field did not produce anything unusual so I headed back to the car and drove to the south end of Roberts Road, parking where the end of cement road met dirt road.

Checking out the woods near the silo I picked up Carolina Wren, a pair of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and more Northern Yellow Warblers. Nothing really to photograph. 

A flock of Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were foraging for insects about 5' off the ground so I spent a few minutes watching them zip past me at eye level. I would not have been able to get any pics as they were too close and too fast, so it was nice to just watch them do their thing while trying to ID them as flew by.

I walked to the road-closure signs and headed east to the Bad Creek Unit dike. Walking it south back to Roberts Road I managed to flush a pair of Blue-winged Teal from the Humphries Unit, and came upon another flock of Tree Swallows doing that foraging thing, again. A Green Heron flew through the brush and landed overhead; photos would have been nice but the bird was severely backlit, so no real disappointment there.

Winds were blowing up to 20 mph this morning so there was NO warbler activity other than the local NYWA that were everywhere. I'd return to the car and drive home happy that I survived an outing "Without a Camera". 

Tomorrow I will sit next to the front door and wait for Santa to return.

Pte. Mouillee SGA (permit required Sep 1-Dec 31), Monroe, Michigan, US
May 3, 2026 8:08 AM - 9:31 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.101 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Clear, cool, 42F, windy 10-20mph from SW
40 species (+1 other taxa)

Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  2
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)  2
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)  1
Great Egret (Ardea alba)  1
heron sp. (Ardeidae sp.)  1
American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)  6
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  2
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Cooper's Hawk (Astur cooperii)  1
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)  4
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)  2
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus)  1
Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Eastern Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)  2
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)  4
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)  1
Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)  35
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  8
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  4
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  2
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)  2
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)  2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)  30
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  4
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  1
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)  3
White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)  4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  4
Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  1
Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)  2
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  36
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)  4
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)  10
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  4
Northern Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva)  18
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  2
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)  6

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S331739397

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (https://ebird.org/home)